BURKINA FASO: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON DECEMBER

C O N F I D E N T I A L OUAGADOUGOU 001078 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (Mis-Positioned Info Addressee) E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2019 TAGS: PREL PHUM UNGA UV SUBJECT: BURKINA FASO: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON DECEMBER "DEFAMATION OF RELIGIONS" VOTE REF: SECSTATE 122638 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Dennis Hankins for reasons 1.4 (b and d) ¶1. (C) On December 1, Pol/Mil Officer delivered reftel demarche to Mr. Der Kogda, Director of Multilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Pol/Mil explained that the USG is concerned about the deeply problematic "combating defamation of religions" resolution, which seeks to undermine established human rights of freedom of religion and expression. We underscored the importance of voting against this resolution, or as a fall back, to abstain. ¶2. (C) Kogda was non-committal about which way Burkina Faso might vote, but reminded us that in Burkina Faso, religion was just not an issue. He said that, because Burkinabe were tolerant to all forms of religion, debating this type of proposal did not make sense in the national context. He also reminded us that Burkina Faso was a member of the OIC. Kogda said he would share our concerns about the December vote with the Burkinabe Foreign Minister as well as the Burkinabe Mission in New York. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: Because of Burkina Faso's membership to the OIC and looking back on it past voting record it is unlikely that it will vote "no", but rather will abstain as it has in the past. HANKINS